Crohn’s Nutrition Guide

Email addresses will not be shared with 3rd parties. See privacy policy

Thank you.

Your message has been sent.

OK

We're sorry, an error occurred.We are unable to collect your feedback at this time. However, your feedback is important to us. Please try again later.

Close

Overview

Crohn’s
disease, a type of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), can certainly cause issues
when it comes to choosing what you eat and drink. Not only does the condition
cause digestive tract inflammation and uncomfortable symptoms, but long-term
consequences can even include malnutrition. To make matters more complicated,
your dietary habits can worsen symptoms. While there is no cure-all diet known
for Crohn’s, eating and avoiding certain foods may help prevent flare-ups.

Grains

Grains are
common dietary staples. Whole grains are often touted as providing the most
dietary benefits because they are high in fiber and nutrients. The fiber factor
is often problematic for people with Crohn’s disease because it can increase
diarrhea and abdominal pain.

What to avoid/limit:

whole-wheat grains

Try this instead:

white bread,
crackers, pasta, and rice

Depending on
your individual symptoms, your doctor may recommend a lower fiber diet. This
means you will have to limit the amount of grains you eat. According to the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of
America (CCFA), two-thirds of Crohn’s patients may
benefit from a low-fiber, low-residue eating plan to help treat small
intestinal constriction. This type of diet reduces fiber and “scrap” that can
stay and irritate the bowels.

Fruits and Veggies

Due to their
numerous benefits, it’s a shame to think that fruits and vegetables ought to be
avoided by people with Crohn’s. The truth is that raw produce can cause
problems for the same reason as whole grains: high fiber content. You don’t
necessarily have to eliminate every fruit and vegetable from your diet, but
some fruits and vegetables can be exceptionally hard on a Crohn’s digestive
tract.

What to avoid/limit:

apples with skins

broccoli

cabbage

cauliflower

corn

Try this
instead:

apple sauce

steamed vegetables

Instead of
avoiding fruits and vegetables entirely, you can still reap some of their
benefits by processing them differently. For example, baking and steaming can make
the foods more easily digestible. Still, this process can also remove some of
the important nutrients of fresh fruits and veggies, especially water-soluble
vitamins and enzymes, so you may talk to your doctor and dietitian about ways to
prevent any deficiencies.

Protein and Meat

When it comes
to Crohn’s flare-ups, your protein selections should be based on fat content. Meats
with higher fat content should be avoided, while opting for proteins that are
lower in fat is a better choice.

What to avoid/limit:

red meat

dark poultry

Try this
instead:

eggs

fish

lean ground beef

peanut butter (creamy
versions only)

white meat poultry

tofu

Dairy Products

While you may
be able to have a glass of milk here and there with no problems, other Crohn’s
patients may not tolerate dairy very well. In fact, the Mayo Clinic advises people with Crohn’s disease to skip dairy products altogether.
This is because lactose intolerance tends to coincide with IBD. Lactose, a type
of milk sugar, can increase your risk for gas, pain, and diarrhea. High-fat
dairy, such as butter, is an even greater concern because the fat may aggravate
an already-swollen small intestine.

What to avoid/limit:

butter

full-fat dairy
products

Try this instead:

dairy substitutes
from plants like milk, yogurt, and cheese made from soy, coconut, almond, flax,
or hemp

low-fat dairy
products

If you do
decide to indulge in dairy, make sure to opt for low-fat products, limit your
intake, and use enzyme products (such as Lactaid) to help control any resulting
flare-ups.

Beverages

Considering
the nature of Crohn’s disease, it’s generally a good idea to drink more fluids.
The best beverage of choice tends to be plain water. Water also provides the
best form of hydration — dehydration is often a risk in cases of chronic
diarrhea.

What to avoid/limit:

coffee

tea

soda

wine, liquor, and
beer

Try this instead:

water

Caffeinated
beverages, such as coffee, tea, and soda increase diarrhea. Alcohol can have
the same effect. Soda and carbonated water are not good choices either because
they can increase gas.

If you can’t
live without your daily caffeine or an occasional glass of wine, remember that
moderation is the key. Try drinking water alongside these beverages to minimize
their potential adverse effects.

Spices

Spicy foods
can act as a stimulant (similar to caffeine), and worsen your symptoms. As a
rule of thumb, you should avoid anything overly spicy. On the other hand, turmeric
(or curcumin), which has a slightly spicy flavor, has been linked to positively
affecting Crohn’s disease flare-ups in preliminary studies.

What to avoid/limit:

all spice

black pepper

cayenne pepper

chili powder

cloves

curry (leaves and
powders)

garlic

ginger

onions

paprika

wasabi

Try this instead:

turmeric

Vitamins and Supplements

Issues with
foods may warrant a look at vitamins and supplements. According to the Mayo Clinic, a multivitamin may be one of the best choices for Crohn’s disease.
These supplements can help prevent malnutrition caused by the small intestine’s
inability to properly absorb the foods you eat. Furthermore, if your diet is
very limited because of flare-ups, a multivitamin with minerals can help fill
in missing nutrients. Calcium is another important supplement to consider,
especially if you don’t eat many dairy products. Depending on the degree of the
disease and inflammation, what medications you are taking and if any resection
surgeries have occurred, folate, B-12, vitamin D, and fat-soluble vitamins are
the most common nutrient deficiencies.

While
supplements can help, you should discuss these with a doctor and dietitian first
to avoid the potential for overdose and drug interactions.

Outlook and Other Dietary Considerations

Diet may help
prevent flare-ups. However, food and drinks tend to affect Crohn’s patients
differently. This means that one food might cause flare-ups for some people and
not for others. In general, if you know that a certain food aggravates your
symptoms, you should take care to avoid it altogether. Smaller, more frequent
meals can also reduce stress on the digestive tract.

New areas of
research in Crohn’s include the use of probiotics, the intake of omega-3s found
in flaxseed oil, fish, fibrous foods like psyllium that remain undigested until
the colon, and medium-chain triglycerides found in coconut.

It’s
important to consider that it’s not just what you eat that can aggravate your
symptoms — the way you cook and process your food can also make a difference.
Fried, fatty foods are common flare-up culprits, so opt for baked and broiled
items instead. Crohn’s disease can make the digestion of fats difficult,
thereby worsening diarrhea and other symptoms.

Diet can play
a crucial role in overall Crohn’s management, but it can’t cure the disease. In
fact, the CCFA points out that few research studies have pointed to diet as the
solution. This is because diet can help prevent and alleviate symptoms, but
food and nutrition can’t prevent the underlying inflammation that causes the
symptoms in the first place. Continue to see your doctor for treatment
follow-up, and be sure to discuss any differences in symptoms. Nutrition
counseling may also improve the efficacy of your medications and overall quality
of life.